Hello!
Quite a lot has happened in the wonderful world of Astral Magic since my last post.
Since the Astral Magic with Paul Roland - Mind Melt Machine CD EP there have been already SEVEN new releases!
Strange Sensation CD, limited to 100 copies, was released in April the 5th. This album is a sort of successor to Am I Dreaming?, so more in the vein of 60s/70s psych/garage rock. Jaire Pätäri from Octopus Syng plays the drums, and the CD also includes a unique mix of Mind Melt Machine from the previous EP as a bonus track. Also featured are Perttu Lindberg – drums on “You Can’t Hear Me” and Jasmin Anglén – backing vocals on “Haunted Mansion”. Eye-popping cover art by Andy Wainwright, as usual.
Then we released a very limited edition home-made CD-R The Secret Paths: More Rarities with Shane Beck. This one has new versions of tracks that were originally made for his solo albums as well as plenty of totally new stuff. Very deep and psychedelic!!! Still a couple of copies left, but be quick...
Cruising the Celestial Highways has been in the works for years... It is the instrumental krautrock album of Astral Magic! It was ment to be an LP release but we'll have to settle for a limited edition CD for now. Just 100 copies in cool digipack.
The Highwaymen:
Santtu Laakso: music, mix, production, bass, synthesizers, motorik beats.
Jay Tausig: live drums, guitar, saxophone.
Pete Bingham: guitar.
Fred Laird: guitar.
Jonathan Segel: mastering.
Andy Wainwright: cover design
Shadows over Jupiter was originally released on tape in 2021. I also made a 2LP version with three extra tracks, but it has proved to be too expensive to manufacture... I recently decided to remix all the tracks for a better sound quality. So a limited CD edition called Shadows over Jupiter Remixed was put out. Art by the original graphic designer Juha Takalo. Some great and quite different Astral Magic stuff on this one. Also features Jay Tausig and Fred Laird! Just get it.
After Shadows over Jupiter Remixed I decided to do limited edition of the previously vinyl only 2022 album Magical Kingdom
on factory-pressed CD-R. Just 50 copies and going fast! Some fans do
not buy vinyl and have been asking for this, so... And with three bonus
tracks!
Floating in Space is a long-time project with my old friend Vesa Partti. We started it in 2021 or 2020 but it was put aside for some time... We finally decided to release it this Summer! First a digital single of the title track, then the whole album on limited edition CD. Vesa plays all the guitars and also does some vocals. I just love this album!
Floating in Space CD also includes the latest single recorded in analog studio with the Kultti-25 guys Tapio and Aki and some new faces: Joonas Soini on another guitar and the legendary Pentti Dassum on modular synths! The single Emerald Tablet / Taste of Sunlight (in My Mouth) was released in digital form last Friday but unfortunately the lathe-cut 7" version is a bit delayed. There will be only 50 copies of these made! Amazing art again by Andy on Floating and the new single...
I recently went to UK for almost two weeks. I visited the wonderful Kozfest for the second time, hang around with my friends Custard Flux and also finally got to Cardigan, Wales, for the Fruits de Mer Records festival 20th Dream of Dr Sardonicus. I also had a dj slot there playing only Astral Magic stuff! What an amazing journey… Astral Magic compilation Different Dimensions was included in the goodie back, I think I have sold all my copies now.
Other forthcoming releases include the CD's Interstellar Relations and Those Who Came from the Stars as well as a limited edition 10" lathe-cut version of the Mind Melt Machine EP with Paul Roland... Stay tuned!!!
